synthesis, reflections on day one and on moving forward

8/3/2019 Synthesis, Reflections on Day One and on Moving Forward

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Robert T. Pennock

Lyman Briggs CollegeDept. of PhilosophyDept of Computer Science

Ecology, Evolutionary Bio. & BehaviorBEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action

Michigan State University

Thinking Evolutionarily

Tuesday, November 1, 2011



Shadowen’sobjection was that

there was no

mention of the

biblical account of

creation that is in

Genesis.

“We’re not going toteach one theory

and not teach

another theory…”




BEACONAn NSF Center for the Study ofEvolution in Action

“Teach the Controversy”

!Michigan HB 5251

–(A) Use the scientific method to critically evaluatescientific theories including, but not limited to, thetheories of global warming and evolution.

– (B) Use relevant scientific data to assess the validity of

those theories and to formulate arguments for andagainst those theories.

!Rep. John “Moolenaar said that [this language]does not require the teaching of intelligent design,

but that such a decision would be up to localschool boards.”





“Teach the Controversy”?

!

“…ID’s backers have sought to avoid thescientific scrutiny which we have now

determined that it cannot withstand by

advocating that the controversy, but not IDitself, should be taught in science class. This

tactic is at best disingenuous, and at worst a

canard.”

- Kitzmiller et al v. Dover Area School Board





Texas Board of Ed (2009)

–“!strengths andweaknesses!”

•Creationist proposal to require students to

analyze and evaluate: BoardVotes

• “…evidence supportive and notsupportive of a theory.”

• “… the sufficiency or insufficiency

of common ancestry to explain thesudden appearance, stasis and

sequential nature of groups in the

fossil record."




Language MattersFraming



http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/synthesis-reflections-on-day-one-and-on-moving-forward 7/47Tuesday, November 1, 2011



Dover PA evolution

disclaimer• Because Darwin’s Theory is a theory , it continues to

be tested as new evidence is discovered.The Theory isnot a fact.!Gaps in the Theory exist for which there isno evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of

life that differs from Darwin’s view.The referencebook, Of Pandas and People , is!available for students who might be interested in gaining anunderstanding of what Intelligent Designactually !involves.




Cobb Co., GA disclaimer

This textbook contains material onevolution. Evolution is a theory,not a fact , regarding the origin of

living things. This material should be approached with an openmind, studied carefully and

critically considered.




Evolutionary Theory




Evolutionary Science




Moving fromReactive to Proactive




U.S.A.

Acceptance

or Rejection

of Evolutionin 34

Countries




Attitudes w/ College Education

32% of students answered “no” tothe question “Do you think that the

modern theory of evolution has avalid scientific foundation?”

40% of high school biology teachersthink “there are sufficient problemswith the theory of evolution to castdoubts on its validity”




“How to Attack the

Problem and Win the War?”

• Answer: We must marshall the data!

• Science as Evidence-Based Persuasion

•Cart and Horse Problem




Hearts & MindsYou Can Lead a Horse to Water,But You Cannot Make It Drink

You Can Send the Kids to College,

But You Cannot Make Them Think




Evolution… what has it

done for us lately?!Evolutionary medicine

!Pest management

!Forensic tools

!Evolutionary computation

!Evolutionary engineering design

!and more…

Practical Results




Evolution is science done right ,and is one of the best examples to

illustrate the nature of science.

A Model Science




Scientific ExplanationOne explains E scientifically by showing what made it so(i.e. its cause)




CaSE Model

C E




CaSE Model

C EC

CProximate

Causes




S

CaSE Model

C EC

CProximate

Causes




CaSE Model

C E

C

C

C E

C

C




CaSE Model

C E

C

C

C E

C

C

C E

C

C

Proximate

Causes

“Ultimate”

Causes




Teleology vs Teleonomy




Can’t do evolutionary

experiments in real time?Yes we can.




• Nature (2003, Vol. 423. 8 May, pp. 139-144)Tuesday, November 1, 2011



Avida Publications

•Adami, C., Ofria, C., and Collier, T.C. 2000. Evolution of biological

complexity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci . 97:4463-4468.

• Chow, S. et al. 2004. Adaptive Radiation from ResourceCompetition in Digital Organisms. Science, 305:84-85

• Hang, D., Ofria, C., Schmidt, T., and Torng, E. 2007.The Effect of Natural Selection on Performance of Maximum Parsimony, BCM

Evolutionary Biology .• Lenski, R.E., et al. 1999. Genome complexity, robustness, and genetic

interactions in digital organisms. Nature, 400:661-664.

• Ofria, C., Adami, C., and Collier, T.C. 2003. Selective pressures ongenomes in evolution. J. Theor. Biology , 222:466-483.

•Wilke, C.O. and Adami, C. 2001. Interaction between directional

epistasis and average mutational effects. Proc. Royal Society LondonB, 268:1469.

• Yedid, G., et al 2008. Historical and contingent factors affect re-evolution of a complex feature lost during mass extinction incommunities of digital organisms. Journal of Evolutionary Biology

21/5:!1335-1357




•Adami, C., Ofria, C., and Collier, T.C. 2000. Evolution of biological

complexity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci . 97:4463-4468.

• Chow, S. et al. 2004. Adaptive Radiation from ResourceCompetition in Digital Organisms. Science, 305:84-85

• Hang, D., Ofria, C., Schmidt, T., and Torng, E. 2007. The Effect of Natural Selection on Performance of Maximum Parsimony, BCM

Evolutionary Biology .• Lenski, R.E., et al. 1999. Genome complexity, robustness, and genetic

interactions in digital organisms. Nature, 400:661-664.

• Ofria, C., Adami, C., and Collier, T.C. 2003. Selective pressures ongenomes in evolution. J. Theor. Biology , 222:466-483.

•Wilke, C.O. and Adami, C. 2001. Interaction between directional

epistasis and average mutational effects. Proc. Royal Society LondonB, 268:1469.

• Yedid, G., et al 2008. Historical and contingent factors affect re-evolution of a complex feature lost during mass extinction incommunities of digital organisms. Journal of Evolutionary Biology

21/5:!1335-1357

Avida Publications




Other Avida Research• Evolution of altruism

• Evolution of intelligent behavior

• Evolution of parasites and disease

• Evolution of sex

• Effects of extinction events on evolution

• Selective pressures in evolution

• Origins of gene modularity

•Roles of chance and history in evolution




Technology for

Teaching Evolution and

the Nature of Science

using Digital Organisms




Avida-ED's Digital Petri Dish




The Genome of an Avidian




An Avidian Replicates


BEACON CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF EVOLUTION IN ACTION

TTGT T TCGCTACTGC CGTGCAACAA A AG A TG AACA G AGCGATGACG GCACGTTGTT T TC A T AC

BEACON CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF EVOLUTION IN ACTION



BEACON C E N T E R F O R T H E S T U D Y O F

BEACON aims to illuminate and harness the power of

evolution in action to advance science and technology

for the benefit of society.

BEACON is just getting started. In the years ahead,

groundbreaking BEACON research will be profiled in exhibits

and other educational programs for children and adults.

Stories will explore evolution at the genetic level, atthe level of the individual organism (the microbe,

plant, or animal), and at the community level

(organisms interacting together).

We will look at evolution happening in computers . . .

see robots that incorporate evolutionary principles . . .

. . . to learn how t his research

.

y

hibits

s . . .

s . . .

impactsour

lives

evolution ın actio

G

T A G C C A

T G A C T A T T G C

C A

A C G T G C

T A C T 1 0

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0 1

BEACON studies the impacts and industrial applications of

evolution as it happens — now and in the future.

BEACON unites biologists, computer scientists, and engineers

from five universities — each bringing their unique

perspectives and approaches — to work together in

studyingnatural and digital evolutionary processes.

Evolution in natureEvolution is observable in the genetic code

of natural organisms — plants, animals, and

microbes — such as in the two different strains

of bacteria growing in this petri dish.

Evolutionin digitalenvironments

Evolution is also observable in the

software code of artificial organisms

that can mutate, self-replicate,

and compete in a computer — such

as in the population of “Avidians”

seen on this computer screen.

rsp

stu

old

rva

pe

E v inenviro

Evolution is also obse

BEACONCENTER FOR THE STUDY OF EVOLUTION IN ACTION


evolution



evolution

works!Evolution can result in elegant

designs — in nature and indigital environments.

Evolution can also help us

solve complex engineering

problems, resulting in . . .

Safer cars.A car chassis buffers the impact a driver experiences during

a front end collision. Dr. Ron Averill and BEACON

researcher Erik Goodman used evolutionary

computation to design the forward

part of a car chassis that is

lightweight but provides excellent

crash protection!

Smarter robots.Computers can evolve robots with more complex, flexible

behaviors. BEACON researchers Drs. Xiabo Tan, Philip McKinley,

and Janette Boughman are developing robotic fish that can

form schools on their own. This cooperation will better enable

the robots to monitor underwater environments for us.

Steadierrockets.

Finless rockets have less drag

than finned designs — but are less

stable during flight. Dr. Faustino

Gomez and BEACON’s Dr. Risto

Miikkulainen used computers

to evolve a neural network

controller — an “artificial brain”

— that maintains stability of a finless

t e

isi

he

o

A car chassis u ers

a front end coll

researc

c

Want toknow more?




Download Avida-ED

http://avida-ed.msu.edu

http://www.avida-ed.msu.edu/



synthesis, reflections on day one and on moving forward

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